 Green Heat News
August 2010
Issue No. 13
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Dear Friends,
Congress is about to go into August recess but before they do, they are expected to pass the first ever national rebate program for wood and pellet stoves and boilers! The Alliance for Green Heat was the primary architect of the provisions and we want to thank all of you who helped in the process. If the $1,500 tax credit does not get extended, this will be the only national incentive available next year.
Sincerely,
The Team at Green Heat
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Alliance for Green Heat Projects & Activities
Rebates for Biomass Appliances Get Green Light
As of Thursday, July
29, it appears that Home Star will be passed this year as part of Senator
Reid's energy bill. Reid released his
bill this week containing the biomass provisions that were passed in the
House. Click here for more information.
A Carbon Life Cycle Analysis of Wood Pellets
A
joint research project by The Alliance for Green Heat and VU University
Amsterdam shows that heating with wood pellets can emit about one tenth
the carbon as heating with oil and one sixth the carbon if heating with
natural gas. To read the full report, click here.
Time to Scale Back Renewable Energy Incentives for the wealthy?
As President Obama and the Democrats decide to challenge Republicans over extending tax breaks for the wealthy - the top 2% of American families - should there be a conversation in the renewable energy community about incentives for renewables for the wealthy? We think so. To read more, click here.
Wood Story: Here Comes the Modern Pellet Stove
Summer interns at the Alliance for  Green Heat put together another parody of a movie - Toy Story. Click here to watch how Buzz Lightyear convinces his fellow toys about the need to replace old wood stoves.
Safety and Insurance:
Ramifications of Self-Installation
Before
you install your own stove, check with both local and state offices to
see what permits, if any you need. Your insurance coverage could be
affected, as well as the efficiency and cleanliness of your stove. For
more information, click here.
Pennsylvania weakens outdoor boiler regulations below industry recommendations
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania retreated from nearly all of its proposed positions, adopting the positions of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association on behalf of its Outdoor Hydronic Heater Caucus, and often agreed to even weaker positions than the HPBA requested. Click here for more information.
Updated Wood Stove Figures
Ten million is often the figure cited for the total number
of wood and pellet stoves in the US. But
the EPA now believes there are 12 million stoves in the US, 3 million of which
are EPA certified. This data, from the
US Census, shows interesting trends in who burns wood in stoves vs. inserts and
where. More here.
Wood
Heat Poster Raises Funds for Charity
The best
photographs from the "S how Us Your Woodpile"
contest are now in a poster! The Alliance is teaming up with Tarm USA who ran the contest and produced the
gorgeous 20 x 24 poster. It's available for $10.00 plus $3.00 for postage. All sale proceeds are donated to the non-profit group Silent
Heat, which distributes cord wood to families who can't afford to heat their homes. To purchase a poster, click here.
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Featured Reports
New Hampshire Rebate Program
The State of New Hampshire finalized their regulations for a state-wide boiler rebate program. Residential bulk-fuel fed pellet central boilers and furnaces are eligible for a 30% rebate of up to $6,000, which is the same amount given to residential solar and wind technologies. While common in Europe, this will be the first incentive program in America aimed at automated, bulk fed pellet boilers. The program goals are aimed at stimulating market expansion of local fuels, an increase sales and installation of pellet central heating systems, and to reduce fossil-fuel use for home heating. Click here for more details.
Reflections on Changes in Hearth Industry
Craig Issod is a 30 year hearth industry veteran who has installed stoves, run a stove shop, manufactured stoves, imported boilers, and most recently runs Hearth.com, an on-line hearth publication now seen by over 2 1/4 million visitors a year. He reflects here on how industry has changed and needs to change faster, by supporting cleaner and more efficient standards.
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From the Newsroom
National
Wood Heat Beats out Solar, Wind-Turbine Makers in Congressional BillYesterday the Senate moved forward legislation that will provide $3.8 billion in rebates for vehicle powered by natural gas and $5 billion in rebates to homeowners for efficient appliances, including wood and pellet stoves and boilers.
"Heat is Power"In Washington, D.C., American
innovators and entrepreneurs launched a new organization called "Heat
is Power" to spread the word about what they call the missing link to
America's clean energy future: generating zero emission electricity
from industrial waste heat. Thermal Renewable Energy and Efficiency ActSens. Al Franken (D-MN.) and Kit Bond (R-MO.) and Reps. Betty McCollum (D-MN.), Jay Inslee (D-WA.) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) for introduced the Thermal Renewable Energy and Efficiency Act of 2010 in the U.S Senate and House of Representatives. The legislation would assist in developing renewable heating and cooling projects nationwide through district heating systems. Hoosier Energy SettlementIndiana:
Hoosier Energy to fund Wood Appliance Change-out and Retrofits as part
of a settlement with EPA over violations of the Clean Air Act. Hoosier
will provide incentives through rebates, discounts, and in some
instances, replacement of old, inefficient, high polluting wood-burning
technology. New York Mandates Cleaner Heating OilNew York State is drastically reducing sulfur in home heating oil. After some uncertainty, Governor David A. Paterson signed into law a bill that limits the sulfur content of No. 2 heating oil to no more than 15 parts per million starting in July 2012, down from the current range of 2,000 to 15,000 parts per million.
There's a simple goal behind a new state subsidy of whole-house pellet boilers: the goal is to see if we can't replace the oil delivery truck in New Hampshire with the wood pellet delivery truck.
A new woodstove law to protect home buyers and clear the air of unnecessary wood smoke takes effect on August 1st. Oregon is
the first state to require the removal and decommissioning of any
uncertified woodstove or insert from a home when it is sold.
Some Questions About Burning Wood
As Vermonters across
the state wrestle with their energy future, more and more are looking
to wood - now called biomass by policymakers - as an abundant, local
and renewable resource.
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Upcoming Conferences
Wednesday, September 15th-17th, International training seminar "Biomass heating - Market development and technologies" Linz, Austria
This
three day event covers all aspects of developing a market for biomass
heating. From technology to standards and from marketing to logistics.
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Did you know?
- Since 2005, the average cost to heat homes has risen about
27% - Of LIHEAP enrolled homes, one quarter report going without
food for at least one day because of energy bills in the past five years. Click here for more on "Heat or Eat?"
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Quote of the Month
"Low efficiency systems that send wood into stand-alone electric plants should not be counted as a renewable in the new market."
-Professor Daniel Richter,
Duke University
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Internship Opportunity
The Alliance for Green Heat is currently looking for an intern who is interested in climate change and renewable energy policy. To learn more about this position, click here.
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Donge Joins Board
 Lily Donge, manager of environment and climate change at Calvert Investments, is joining the Board of Directors. Lily brings tremendous experience in alternative energy and climate change. Prior to joining Calvert in 2001, she worked at the World Resources Institute. She has an MBA from Yale School of Management, and an MA in International Development Economics from Yale University.
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Please Support Our Work!
Thanks To...
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The Alliance for Green Heat is an independent non-profit organization working to promote cleaner and more efficient biomass heating. Please consider making a generous contribution. The Alliance is tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax-deductible. You can make a secure donation online through PayPal by clicking the button below. Thank you! 
We would like to extend our most sincere thanks to all of our supporters! Your donations help us advocate for policies to help everyday Americans heat their homes sustainably and affordably.
Founders --Dr. William & Frances Ackerly, the Arbolito Foundation, Family Alliance Foundation, the Ramsay Merriam Fund and Woodpellets.com
Founding members--April Bodman, Ann Down, Tina and Dave Egan, Kim Kaston, Steven R. Kaufman & JD Doliner, John Meeker, Nick Salafsky & Julie Segre, Nina Smith & John Ackerly, Tad Welch & Ali Schultheis and Anonymous.
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